Calypso's Witness
by planetstarkid
Summary: Thalia had known from the first touch how his future was grasped tightly in her Mistress' hands. So, she watched him. Kept a close eye to make sure the fate he had planned for him played out exactly as her Goddess wished. But, Will Turner was a good man and mermaids had a sweet spot for his kind. She didn't know the trouble she was getting herself into until it was too late.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** So good news! I'm, first, still alive and second, my muse has come back for this story. For now, I'm trying to go back and fix and extend all the chapters because my goal is to hit at least like 4/6k a chapter so when I take longer to update, its worth it! In the mean time, a nice thank you to the person who made me feel inspired to write again!

R&amp;R!

* * *

It was a cool, foggy day.

The wind was slow and steady, not taking favor of any ship that day. And all was quiet, except for the soft sound of water moving. The sea was as bottomless as the gray sky and the fog was thick with intent. Tension sat heavy on the waves, the silence being almost deafening.

Swimming through grey waters was The Black Pearl, a said demon ship with a murderous rage. It sails were as dark as rumors claimed with holes spread throughout, appearing more ghost-like than anything. And the ship itself was stained darker than that, barely visible through the fog.

But, one creature saw the ship and with a mad curiosity, followed it. A mermaid, too careless to not be young, trailed after the Black Pearl underwater. Among the merfolk, the ship was famous; everyone knew when Davy Jones had a hand in something. But, even more famous was the captain, Jack Sparrow: The only man to ever resist the mermaid's lullaby and live to tell the tale.

Unknown to this mermaid, there was no Captain Sparrow aboard.

But still, she followed after the ship, long , dark hair shielding her glistening scales in black waters. Her long tail moved gently behind her, the motion disrupting the water, but she was smart enough to stay deep under the surface.

She wanted to see what this ship's goal was. Wondered why the ship was crossing her path. And suddenly the water rippled, a loud _bang_ making her ears ring. Startled by the explosion of gunpowder, the mermaid retreated deeper underwater. Next to the Black Pearl was an average sized merchant ship, the cannons doing quick work on it and its crew. The pirates swung over, boarding the vessel and making quick work of its occupants. The mermaid had found the ship's purpose.

Other cannons went off and the mermaid was scared off farther from both ships. But, still, she watched from far away with curious eyes. She could not, for the life of her, understand men. Why did they attack each other? What gain could one have from killing their kin?

With another cannon ball fired, a lone, small body was thrown overboard, its presence unknown to anyone. The body smacked the water's surface and sunk rapidly. The mermaid watched without compassion.

However, a jewel on the person drew her attention. It pulsed in the sea, sending out a wicked intent into the water. And instantly she wanted to have it for her own. So up she swam towards the body, every intention on saving her possession.

But, when she touched the boy whose life was drowning away, she found she could not steal his prize.

Unknown to the world, mermaids possessed physic abilities (it is how they communicated with each other) and they could glimpse into the mind of someone with just a brush of their fingers. That's why it was rumored that once a mermaid has kissed a man, they are as good as dead. She sinks her fangs into her victim's mind, all his wildest desires flashing before his mind and, before he knows it, he's falling into the water to his death. But, they could also see someone's fate. It wasn't a thorough ability, just a quick sense of the man's soul to know whether or not he was a man worth killing or not.

And this boy's soul burned like fire under her fingertips. She felt like she had been dropped into Davy Jones' Locker, the endlessly scorching sun beating against her back as she burned on the sand. Like she had been dropped into a lake of fire and her scales were melting from her bones. Like she was sizzling on an oiled pan and a man above her licked his lips in hunger as he eyed her like a common fish.

For a second, she lost her breath, all the stored up air in her lungs dried as her chest constricted in fear.

And like cool water on a parched throat, her Goddess' voice whispered to her. The words, honey to her senses, were clouded and blurred. She could not distinguish one letter from the next, but she could _feel_ the shiver race up her spine as her Goddess commanded her to do _something._ As she was wrapped in her Goddess' cool embrace and given a vision of the calm seas she called home, she knew she would obey whatever instruction she was given.

The mermaid also knew the importance of her Mistress' voice. It had been a long time since anyone had heard the voice of Calypso, the love the Goddess held for a certain sailor unknowingly damning her into a mortal body. The sea roared in anger when its Goddess was taken and the mermaids wept like babes robbed of their mother. Calypso was her queen, and she would damn herself before she disobeyed her.

So with a push, she grabbed onto the boy and pulled him to the surface, far from the wreckage of the ship. The pirates were finishing up with the vessel anyway, seeming to find what they were looking for. In result, the merchant ship was left in embers, breaking apart into the sea. The left over passengers lay dead in the water, waiting for Davy Jones. And all their forgotten possessions sunk to the bottom of the sea, unwanted by the greedy men.

The boy was still in her arms though, and she was desperate for a surface so she could help him. Her head swung back and forth, searching.

In front of her, a drifting piece of the ship was coming their way, so she quickly swam forward to meet it. When she laid the boy out, she could already feel her care for him; he was such a beautiful, pure child with such a magnificent fate.

She watched him gently as he seemingly slept, the explosion no doubt knocking him out. Brown hair slicked back by water, peachy, smooth skin pale from being in the water so long. Her heart swelled when she saw the freckles dotting his cheeks. They were a human feature, a consequence of being in the sun so long. She pressed her hand to his small chest, checking the beating heart inside. She smiled when she felt its slow rhythm against her palm.

Her attention shifted and, gingerly, she fingered the treasure on his neck. She could feel the damning curse right away and wished she could save him from the troubles it would no doubt bring him. But, since she had saved the boy, her Mistress had not pushed her further, so she left his fate alone.

Unconsciously, the boy moaned in fright and pain, no doubt scared from his last sight. Trying to calm him, she smoothed a hand over his soft hair.

Mermaids were usually such cruel creatures, ripping out hearts and eating the flesh of men. But, they were also capable of such warm compassion. They only really shared it with their sisters, but this young boy was special. He was important to her Goddess and therefore he was important to all merfolk. Already, the mermaid could feel the love she had for Calypso reflecting onto the boy.

A young voice unexpectedly filtered through the air, a song about pirates being sung by a little girl. She was on a boat that was directly headed their way; the mermaid could hear the ripples in the surface.

Even with another ship present, the mermaid hesitated. Was she to leave this boy to other humans? What if he grew up to be a malicious sailor like the rest of them? What if he hunted her for her tears later?

But, she found she could not care, she knew he had her Goddess' blessing and would never regret saving him.

So away she swam, giving an extra push to the makeshift raft so that the ship with the girl would definitely find him.

She promised to herself though; that she would keep her eyes out for him when she was out at sea. She had never saved the life of another and wondered if this affection growing in her chest was a result of her "kind act." Not only was he important, but he had also become her precious jewel.

But, mermaids are not known to give up their treasures.


	2. Chapter 1: Restart

**A/N: **So I did ALOT on the Elizabeth POV, so read that because it's important! But, I just finished this within the last hour and I'm so happy because I got up to like 7 pages on Word and before I was a little over three! So enjoy that~ I also notice that a lot of people have been checking out my HP story, so let me know if you checked that out and want me to write that one too? Idk I can see about an update on that!

Anyway, R&amp;R! I haven't heard anything about this story yet so I would like some criticism or encouragement, anything really to let me know you guy are reading it~

* * *

Chapter 1

Over the next eight years, the mermaid lived very dangerously.

She searched ships for any sign of the young boy she saved and rarely returned back to Whitecap Bay, where her sisters and she called home. She stayed near the Caribbean Port, for it was where the ship had been headed when her boy was pulled aboard. But, she could only go so far. After the ship had docked on land, she had no way of knowing where he went. On a fool's whim she stuck close to the port for the first year, hoping for a glimpse. And it was only after she was spotted by a drunken man did she flee further into the sea.

Luckily, the crew had welcomed her boy among them and she hoped that they had taken proper care to make sure he remained safe. She hated the thought of her precious treasure in the hands of selfish men, but couldn't help but be reassured that the ship that he had boarded was not a pirate one. That fact gave her a little peace.

Eventually, she set up a temporarily home in an abandoned ship. It had crashed into an empty cove, blocking up the only entrance. But, underwater, she could swim her way through and, lucky enough, there was a giant hole right in the middle of the ship where the surface of the water could be seen; a perfect place to sleep.

Contrary to sailor's belief, mermaids needed air to live too, just not as often as humans did. And they also needed to stay in the water; being half submerged led to their deaths. All mermaids were told horror stories about their sisters who were captured by men. Some tied and bound, their chests left bare in the air. Then, they grew weak until their eyes could barely stay open and then their skin would start to crack, like soil blistering in the heat. Some were thrown into giant, glass cases until they would suffocate in the water.

It was hard for lone mermaids to find homes, especially places where humans did not travel. Because, as most legends said, mermaids were malevolent creatures and they often dragged sailors to their deaths. And, in result, sailors made some sort of sick game of capturing them. It was best for a mermaid to stay away from men when choosing a haven.

The best part about the abandoned ship was that it was a passenger vessel, which meant it had so much unexplored treasures in it. She founds jewels and dresses, combs and brushes, suits and hats of different colors, and even a few water-soaked books. She knew not how to read , though it was nice to wonder. She laughed at the number of clothes she found, as if she couldn't believe something as ridiculous as wearing such things. Who would want to cover up their body so fully? Mermaids swam, bare to the world, and she could not imagine anything swimming in such overbearing outfits.

And the jewels that she found! There were shining stones of blue and green, reds and purples, and even pearls, strung in a necklace that looked lovely against her dark skin. Mermaids were vain creatures, their looks being their weapons. So it was understandable when they got attached to a necklace or two. The human women made them look so lovely to wear and mermaids loved the sparkle jewelry had.

After a while, the mermaid became bored quickly with her ship, and only returned when she needed to rest.

Most days she spent exploring the sea. Before coming to the Caribbean, she spent her time exploring near Greece; warmer waters were always more to her liking. And the Caribbean waters were too beautiful for her to sit still. Of course, because the water was so clear sometimes, she spent most of her time near the ocean's floor, exploring the sea reefs and watching the sea life.

Mermaids were the queens of the sea; fishes often swam alongside of her, joyously welcoming her kind. She spent most of her time with dolphins; they were the smartest sea creatures after all. Most often, the dolphins and she went playing in sunken ships. Wedging themselves through tight spaces and having races in them. The dolphins were just as lively as she was and she became close to the small family of them.

The only time the dolphins did not hang around her is when she went to find food. Though she could feast on fish and sea critters, sometimes a rare, barely-manned ship would pass by, lost at sea. And she really couldn't help herself to the treat. Plus, the sailors of the Caribbean made it so easy. They had some tall-tale going around about women being curses on a ship and there was nothing easier for a mermaid to lure than a sex-starved sailor.

Men were also easier to seduce when they were mad with desperation. There was nowhere for them to run and some were already going mad from drinking too much sea water. Usually, she didn't even have to sing to get them to lure them; they usually just followed after the sight of her. She found it so laughable that some of the men she ate might have been great sailors, maybe even hunting for her kind once upon a time. Her cruelness shined whenever she hunted.

But, she was not a big eater, so she usually left her half eaten men to the sharks. They had at first tried to scare her from their hunting area, but only when they saw she wouldn't eat everything, and even left them some meals, they soon just stopped. Sometimes she even found a couple sharks swimming around her home, further scaring off humans.

But, after long, the mermaid grew lonely. The dolphins and sharks could not sing songs with her. They could not decorate themselves with jewels and comb her hair. They could not feel the presence of sea life within them. And they could not speak to her. She communicated with the sea animals through motions, using actions and facial expressions to show her intentions, and touches if they let her get close enough. But, that was just half the picture for her.

She wanted someone she could talk to, like the humans did. She saw them, up on their big ships, laughing and talking with each other. She was so curious and a little envious.

When she had come to this part of the ocean, Greek had been her main language. It had taken her a bit of time to learn the locals' tongue, but her sisters had helped her. She wished to speak it out loud though and not just with herself. She wondered how the words would taste on her tongue, how her accent would affect the language. She wondered how her voice sounded with the strange words. Endlessly, her curiosity about humans grew as she found new things to wonder about.

She wanted desperately to find the boy; he would surely be able to keep her company.

* * *

Unfortunately for the mermaid, William Turner had no intention of traveling on sea again.

After his first disaster, he was reluctant to even go on a ship again. Plus, growing up under the care of Governor Swann, the young man had an apprenticeship under the town's black smith and had no time for mending sails and whatnot.

Of course, he did not even remember the mermaid who saved his life and did not even think about the necklace he lost that day. No, for William Turner, it was his goal to return the kindness of the Swann household.

But, when eight years passed, and he was now doing _all_ the work for his drunken teacher, only then did William start to feel like something was missing.

Sighing, the young man wiped the sweat from his brow. After delivering the request to the Swann household, William had returned to the shop to work off some stress. His master had just opened another bottle and William knew it was up to himself to finish all the remaining orders for that day. So, he had picked up his hammer, the hottest piece of iron, and started striking the time away.

William was but a simple man, whose parents had no background. His mom had died when he was a boy and his dad was just a simple sailor. And no one would want to marry their daughter off to a man like that. Even Elizabeth, who had been his dearest friend since childhood, took no interest in him and they became more like siblings than anything. Then there was Commodore Norrington, who was trying to court Elizabeth. And William was just a bit envious; for even Governor Swann wanted to marry his daughter off to him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought of the Governor's words. _At least the boy's got a sense of propriety. _William always did his best to remain polite and not bite the hand that fed him, but he wished that he could be Elizabeth's friend openly, without having to put on an act whenever they were in public.

He wished that he had more status in this world. Finding his father would have been so much easier then. And he wished he could speak up about the truth; how he was making all the swords instead of his master.

However, that was only a small part of him that felt that way; a passing envy that he got over soon enough. William was too humble to brag about his achievements and too nice to spill the truth about the shop. It would not suit him well to be that kind of person. Once he finished his apprenticeship, the truth would eventually come out. It always did.

The one thing William really wanted was company. Besides Elizabeth, there were no people in town around his age, and if they were, they weren't his cup of tea. He longed for someone to talk to late at night, someone to comfort him when he felt down, and someone that could also depend on him. It didn't even need to be the company of a woman; he really just wanted a friend he could relate to, someone to make his life more exciting. Except, there was no type of person in Port Royal.

So, William continued working, cutting off the train of thought before it could get him down. Across the smithery, his master laughed loudly and settled down into his favorite chair with a bottle in his hand. William didn't even spare him a glance.

It looked like it was going to be just another plain ole' day in Port Royal.

* * *

Elizabeth Swann gasped, sucking in air like it was her salvation.

And to be honest, it might as well been.

The dress her father had brought her that morning came with a corset. And the damned thing had been robbing her breath all day, making her lungs constrict painfully and lock her chest within its bindings. Of course, Commodore Norrington hadn't been aware of this when he taken her to the balcony. But, thinking back on the Commodore's last words—ones she hadn't been listening to at the time—she was glad for the excuse to avoid his affections, once again.

"Clearly, you've never been to Singapore" a husky voice brought Elizabeth back to reality. Next to her, a man with a hair full of dreads, braids, and beads was leaning over her, talking to the solider on his left. When he turned his dark eyes to her, Elizabeth blinked rapidly from astonishment; she did not know his face. His gaze was focused on her chest and, had Elizabeth been aware at the time, she would have bristled from her state of undress.

Slowly, he picked up the medallion that had come lose from her bosom.

"Where did you get that?" He whispered, eyes widening at the sight of it and his brows furrowing in confusion. Realization flashed through her mind; this man was a pirate. How else would he recognize it?

Briefly, and only for a second, Elizabeth's doe eyes met the pirate's. But, that's all she needed to lose her breath. Scenarios flashed through her mind instantaneously: traveling at sea, stealing from other ships, and running from the Navy.

Her heart swelled in want.

Like a whip, the sound of boots snapped Elizabeth's attention away. The stranger's eyes lingered on the pendant before they moved towards the sound. The Commodore and nearly his whole platoon had arrived, their swords pointed at her savior.

She hurried to stand when her father ran towards her. His grip was tight with worry and he nearly yanked her away from the pirate, wrapping a cloak quickly around her shoulders. Over her head, he sent the guard holding her corset the dirtiest look.

Scared, his face paled at the Governor's assumption and he quickly pointed a finger at the pirate.

Her father had not even spared him a second glance before he judged him. "Shoot him-"

"Father." She cut him off briskly, regaining her senses. Her father looked shocked. Ignoring him, she pulled the cloak tighter around her shoulders and schooled her features. Now, her eyes were fixed on the Commodore.

"You don't really intend to kill my rescuer?" She asked sarcastically, knowing she had him when his features fell. Surely, he would not kill the seemingly innocent man. He was a pirate, but no one knew except her and she wasn't going to tell anyone. She stared the Commodore down until he lowered his swords. Quickly, his men followed.

Having won that battle, her eyes returned to her savior, the hardness melting away for a childish wonder. The pirate sent her a nod of gratitude and wink. She bristled at the flirtatious motion, but inside she blushed scarlet at his boldness. Did she mention he was an _attractive _pirate?

"I believe thanks are in order." The Commodore sounded haughty as he reached out a hand for the pirate to shake, but Elizabeth knew in her bones that her savior was a thousand times more interesting than the Commodore could hope to ever be. Without shame, she continued to watch the pirate.

Unfortunately (or luckily, if you asked her later), the Commodore could somehow sense that her savior was a pirate and revealed the burned symbol on _Jack Sparrow's_ wrist. Now, he had a reason to put him into chains. From there, the whole event had gone downhill. The two men exchanged words, her father wanted the pirate hanged for putting his hands on Elizabeth, and Gillette had brought out the irons.

As they dragged the pirate away, Elizabeth had thrown the cloak from her shoulders, not caring for propriety now, and chased after the men, stepping in front of the Commodore so he was forced to listen to her.

"Pirate or not, this man saved my life." She began angrily, fueled on by, not only her sense of justice, but also by her sudden panic at the thought of the pirate dying.

The Commodore looked almost hurt at her disagreement. "One good deed does not excuse a life time of wickedness."

"Though it seems enough to condemn him." Jack chimed in from behind her.

"Indeed." The Commodore responded, glaring at the other man.

Fueled on by his support, Elizabeth turned back to the Commodore to renew her protest.

But, before the words could spill from her lips, she was pulled harshly back into a solid chest, a familiar set of chains resting on her neck and the barrel of a gun against her head. For a brief second, her mind panicked at the initial pain, but the husky voice in her ear soon cleared up the confusion.

Jack was using her as a shield. And instead of being angry at him, Elizabeth felt frustrated with herself. For noticing how warm his body was pressed up against hers. For noticing how her wet dress pressed to her body like a second skin and she could feel her curves pushing into him. How her name on his lips made her shiver.

"Elizabeth- it is Elizabeth isn't it?" He asked, pressing his mouth to her ear.

"It's Ms. Swann." She ground out. She was indignant not to be caught in her attraction.

"_Ms. Swann_ if you would be so kind?" He nearly purred out and Elizabeth screamed internally at the unfairness of it.

Looking at the pirate's items in the Commodore's hands, Elizabeth reached out slowly, testing the tightness of Jack's hold on her. Surprisingly, the chains were not choking her and they seemed to ease up to allow her room to move. Stuck between not wanting him to die and being foolishly attracted to the most interesting man she would probably ever meet, Elizabeth stupidly didn't try to escape.

Turned around, she was now faced with a bigger predicament. She and Jack were face to face.

"Now if you would be very kind." He whispered, his dark eyes meeting her's straight on.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed at their closeness and she hoped to God she could somehow convince Jack she wasn't the scared, sheltered woman she felt. Gulping, she looked down, her neck flushing red in embarrassment, but her face staying straight. Even without looking at him, Elizabeth could feel Jack's burning gaze all over her and tried her damnest to ignore it. Now, she let her anger come back tenfold.

She harshly smacked his hat on his head and pressed her body into his as quickly as she could to wrap his belt around his waist.

"Easy on the goods, darling" He quipped, when her hands came around to his front.

Securing it tight, Elizabeth pulled him towards her, meeting his eyes once again.

The look he gave her sent scorching heat straight down her spine. He had been watching her intently and seemed to also be affected by their proximity. The arrogant smirk was on his face, but his eyes were dark pools of want.

Feeling bold, Elizabeth angled her head as if she was going to kiss him, but stopped just as their lips were supposed to touch. Her back was arched and her chest pushed against his causing him to suck in a quiet, deep breath.

"You're despicable." She whispered, the sultry look in her eyes saying he was anything but that.

For a second, he returned her stare with one of his own. As if they weren't standing in the middle of the deck, surrounded by the Navy but, were instead, by themselves. However, he quickly blinked and it was as if the tension they had been playing with—because, looking back, Elizabeth reasoned it couldn't be anything else—was over and he was back to Jack Sparrow, making his grand escape.


	3. Chapter 2: Confession

Chapter 2

Without warning there was a chill in the air.

Scared of something in the unknown, the mermaid dived underwater and waited a couple moments before peeking her head back up.

A shiver ran up her body, starting from the base of her spine and working its way up. Around her was the silence of the cove and the only light was from the reflection of the water. But, still she strained her eyes to see something, the cause of her unexplainable fear.

And like a beacon, the pulse—felt even more strongly since she was fully within the water this time—passed over her again. But now she wasn't startled, she had been waiting for it. And it seemed wicked. Like a curse spreading its fingers into the sea. Like a drop of black ink into the waters.

She remembered it too, that day, eight years ago. Of the boy on the wooden raft and the black sails of that cursed ship.

She had gotten restless within the last year. Mermaids were known to be fickle and stir-crazy; it was a miracle she had even stayed in one place so long. She had long ago gotten bored with the Caribbean and its sea life. She grew tired of searching ardently for a boy who was no doubt moving into adulthood by now. But, her love for Calypso and warm waters kept her close. And she had never been so happy that she had.

Without hesitation, she sped from the cove, diving deep underwater and swimming through its caves. The jewels hanging around her neck rubbed irritably at the scales blooming on her skin. She needed haste and she pushed with all her strength once she was clear of her latest sanctuary. Like the sea creature she was, scales started to cover her whole body. Her once midnight-black hair turned into tentacles. Fins showed on the sides of her cheeks.

Despite being famous for their beauty, sailors had made up such nasty rumors about mermaids. Telling stories of boils and barnacles, twisting merfolk into ugly monsters of the sea. Which she could understand, but didn't appreciate the men who demonized her looks. She was as vain as the next mermaid.

You see, mermaids did look like beautiful women of the sea, but people most often forgot about the sea creature side of them. Just like when a mermaid grows legs when she steps on land, a mermaid also became more fish like the deeper underwater she went. And she wasn't ugly. Her smooth, soft human skin turned into purple scales more precious than any diamond. Her long hair turned into tendrils of tentacles, which floated in the water just the same. And the fins were just for convenience.

Mermaids only looked like this when they needed the extent of their powers. And right now, she needed the strength she rarely called upon. She needed to find the boy, but first she needed to know where that pulse came from.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

When she arrived in Port Royal, it was the middle of the night. The once clear, sunny day was gone. A storm was forming over the small town on the coast and the waves were crashing against the cliffs. Through an alcove, the outlines of three skeletal figures hung, the signs they were with unable to be made out without the light of the moon.

Using the guise of darkness, the mermaid swam closer to the shore line, her head out of the water and her eyes searching. Her boy should be within the area—unless of course, he had had his jewel stolen from him. But, she didn't dwell on that thought too long. Her Goddess had a plan for him, his fate sealed with the sea, and no human could get in between such a strong destiny. Plus, she had saved his life and now he was also bound to her with a debt to repay. Surely, he wouldn't die.

The mermaid reassured herself before diving under the water. The constant fear of finding his body was in the back of her mind, but she pushed downwards, not realizing until too late, she had reached the bottom of the water. Relief reached her first; his body was nowhere in sight. Then confusion hit her. She was in the right spot, the curse's presence lingering in the water, and she could not see anything around her.

On second thought, a repeating sweep of her eyes revealed a pile of cloth. Inspecting it, the mermaid realized it belonged to a woman, for it was a dress. Bored with her finding—and a little confused—the mermaid threw the mass of cloth back where she found it, but stored the information in the back of her head.

She felt out of her depth here. Not only did she not know what her boy looked like, she also had no idea where he could be, not even a place she could start to look. Frustrated, the mermaid once again surfaced; this time she rested against the rocks of the alcove. Above her, the bones clinked together like wind chimes pushed around by the wind. Amused, she listened to their music while she slowly contemplated the town.

She could see the humans, her eyes were better than the average man, the faint mist doing nothing to hinder her. Plus, the dock was still lit with activity and the fire of torches bathed them in light. Alone and sitting on a rock, she grew envious of the land-walkers. With legs of her own, she would have never lost her boy. She would have stayed faithfully by his side, waiting and preparing for the day she could help her Mistress. And if not by his side, then in the shadows, watching over him and knowing that no harm had come to him. Either way, she would need legs and she really wasn't a fan of the gangly things. Absent mindlessly, she ran a hand over her translucent tail, the glimpse of long, brown legs hidden under her scales. An idea tickled at the back of her mind, but she ignored it. She wasn't that desperate.

Like a terror in the night, a cannon suddenly went off and the mermaid quickly rushed back into the water. The vibrations of the resulting crash shook her and slowly she let her eyes drift above the surface of the water.

She wasn't one for coincidence—fate was true for any mermaid—so when she once again laid her eyes upon the Black Pearl, the ghost like ship in all its glory, she knew there was something at work here. That marked twice the boy and the ship had been in the same place at the same time and under the same circumstances.

Bobbing in the water, her dark eyes watched as the pirates raided the beach, hacking and slashing as they reached the town. The once quiet dock was now plagued by screams and fires and explosions. The mermaid only had compassion for her boy and even then, she still had no love for humans, he was just special. But, still she waited; for a sign of some kind, a gut-wrenching feeling or a tightness in her chest, to let her know that her boy was being killed.

And still nothing change. The town was still being raided, the pirates were still shooting cannons—only now the town's militia joined the fray—and there was still no sign of anything: the necklace, the curse, or the connection her boy had with the ship. Slowly, the moon peeked around the cover of the clouds like an outsider watching over the middle battle. The whole ocean lit up under its brilliance and beams of light shot out and touched the ocean's surface. Under the rays, the mermaid caught the sight of boats, returning with their stolen treasures no doubt.

She spotted a woman among the group of pirates and immediately became confused. Not only was the woman untouched, but she was also sitting there stiffly, the pirates not harassing her in any shape or form. Is that who the pirates came for? A lady? What about the necklace?

Curiosity surely did kill the cat because the mermaid moved closer to the Black Pearl, hiding away and pressing up against its hull, looking for answers. She was very confused if not a little frustrated. She had assumed the Black Pearl had come for her boy, yet here they were raiding towns and stealing ladies like normal pirates. She had thought there was a connection, but perhaps this was merely a chance meeting.

Shaking her head, the mermaid pressed herself as close as she could to the ship and held her breath, listening to all the voices up above her. At first, the conversation was indistinct because of all the shouting and hollering the men were doing on the deck. They stomped their boots loudly as they move to and from.

Frustrated, the mermaid moved closer towards the side where they pulled the boats up. Suddenly, she heard something, like the sound of someone being hit. The loud gasp following it told her who exactly was receiving.

"You will speak when spoken too." A deep voice bellowed and all the men got silent upon the deck, a few letting out a chuckle or two. Disgusted, the mermaids dug her claws into the wood of the ship. Nothing made her madder than men who felt entitled. And pirates were famous for their cocky attitudes.

"And ye will not lay a hand on those under the protection of Parley." The next voice that joined into the conversation was low and husky; she could barely make out the words they were speaking. But, finally, all the men quieted on deck and now she was able to focus her attention.

The conversation became clear. "My apologies, Miss." A man stated and then went silent.

There was a breath of hesitation before the mermaid could hear the young Miss. "Captain Barbossa, I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal."

"There were a lot of long words there, Miss. We're not but humble pirates." Barbossa finished with a laugh and few chuckles from his crew. The mermaid became apprehensive for the woman already; everyone knew better than to gamble with pirates. The mermaids had learned that lesson thoroughly with Jack Sparrow.

"What is it that ye want?" He asked, without much caution, just as she suspected.

"I want you to leave and never come back." The men laughed lowly at her demands, but the woman sounded fierce and the mermaid was sure she was holding her ground.

"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." After a moment, he continued. "Means no."

Since everyone seemed to be so interested in what was going on up deck, the mermaid moved closer still. Now, she was directly under where the Young Miss had stepped onto the boat. From here, she could hear clearly what was going on.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from above deck, a necklace dangling in long, feminine fingers. Finally! The mermaid sighed in relief as she saw her boy's necklace. She knew not why the Young Miss had it, but she didn't really care at this moment. Not only was she close to her goal, the woman up deck made everything clearer. The heavy dress she found in the water no doubt belonged to this woman. And the pulse that she sent out was probably because she carried the necklace on her person. Maybe she knew her boy? Was a relative?

"Me holds are burstin' with swag." His voice cracked, but he chuckled to cover it up. "That bit of shine matter to us? Why?"

"It's what you been searching for," the Young Miss said innocently, as if she had figured them out. And she had, by the sounds of it. She was also there that fate-filled day. She had seen the Black Pearl and also wasn't a fool who believed in coincidence.

But still, after hearing that, the captain still try to keep his pride.

Impressing the mermaid, the Young Miss grew tired of the captain's games and turned fierce again. "Fine," she started. "Well, I suppose if it is worthless, there's no point in me keeping it." The sound of the chain caused an almost unstoppable reaction from the crew. All at once they gasped, some saying 'no' at the thought of the necklace going missing.

All was silent for a moment before the captain chuckled. "You got a name missy?"

"Elizabeth…Turner." The Young Miss retracted her hand, and the mermaid continued to listen once more.


	4. Chapter 3: Rebirth

Chapter 3

When she woke the next day, the events of last night were still on her mind.

The sky had cleared up miraculously, like the Black Pearl itself had brought the hell of a storm to the small, port-side town. The sweet smell of salt was on the air. The sun was shining and the blue waters were gentle. The memory of last night could only be seen at the wreck the town had become.

She had a fretful rest, under the docks of the town. The damages the pirates had caused lasted throughout the night and around early morning the army had taken to their boats and started searching the surrounding waters for anything. Not wanting to get caught, the mermaid made the best decision: hiding in plain sight.

Of course, she wasn't completely bare to the world. The sleep she had gotten consisted of a light, attentive nap she managed underwater, on a bed of warm sand. Mermaids could go hours without breathing, but, just like for humans, it was uncomfortable after awhile. However, even the barest amount of sleep was welcome; the long trek she made the day before had caught up to her.

But, she was still uneasy with the conversation she heard last night and, in her unconscious mind, she had been piecing things together. This woman, the one she dubbed Young Miss, turned out to actually be a woman of the Turner household. And somehow these Turners were related to her boy. Of course, they could be her boy's killers or a family of thieves, but the mermaid wouldn't know the answer until she had gotten _Elizabeth Turner_ in her hands. Then, she would torture her until she told her everything she wanted to know.

The only problem now was getting the woman off the ship. And the Black Pearl was too fast a ship to just chase blindly. Her body had been too tired to even think about it last night. She wanted to see her boy, but not so badly she was doing inane things left and right. It was already crazy enough getting this close to a human port. She surely wasn't going to go chasing after the "fastest ship in the sea." At least, not without seeing her boy with her own eyes; then she might make an exception.

Feeling the weight deepen on her chest, the mermaid stopped her thoughts and made for the surface for air. The dock above her was low, with a great ship on her right and a few smaller ones on her left. No fear of being seen from down here.

When she did break surface, the sounds of the port were much more aware to her. Underwater, they were murmurs of noise, but now she could hear the thud of boots and feet above her. Hear the men around her chatting on their boats. Idly listening to their conversations, the mermaid combed her fingers through her hair and bobbed in the water.

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Below her, a shadow slowly moved out towards the sea.

Underneath that shadow were the legs of Jack Sparrow and William Turner. They had conspired together to _commandeer_ a ship and, in a moment of brilliance, Jack had figured out a way for both of them to secretly get close to the ship. Under an upside down boat, they traveled along the ocean's floor and used the air pocket created by the boat to breathe.

Still, William could not believe how far he had fallen. Just the other day he was living an average life, making swords and earning proper gold. Now here he was, traveling with a notorious pirate and stealing ships.

And all for Elizabeth.

Not only was she one of his closest friends, but he also owed her a life debt. They had talked about that first fateful day many of times and each time he thanked her for spotting him, taking care of him, and then accepting him. She was the only family he had left, and he would die for her if it meant she could stay out of harm's way. She was a fine person: kind, compassionate, and ambitious. While William dreamed of moving, Elizabeth dreamed of traveling the world. She wished for adventure, something way beyond the life of a court lady. Often she talked to William about the Commodore; about how dull and repetitive her life would become if she was to marry him. He wanted to save her from it all.

However, he didn't have the power to. But, he would be damned if he let her die without even trying.

When they had finally reached the ship, they both abandoned the boat and swam to the surface. From there, it was all a question of climbing up the ship.

Jack turned to him, "Now, when we board this here ship, let me do the talking, savvy?"

Without really waiting for an answer, Jack turned and grabbed a ledge, starting the climb up the hull of the ship. But still, William nodded. He had no knowledge on theft and doubted he would even know what to say. The closest he had come to the act of stealing was either Jack himself or stories William had read as a boy.

But, when they made the climb and started to make their ambush on the unsuspecting crew, William had pulled his sword from his belt loop and vaulted down the steps instead of walking like Jack did. He thought for a second on how badass he must have looked and hoped he didn't seem as awkward as he felt.

"Everyone stay calm!" Jack waved his gun around in the air for good measure. "We're taking over the ship!"

"Aye! Avast!" The words slipped through William's mouth like butter. He and Jack stood, side by side, his sword drawn and Jack's gun out.

Yet the crew laughed.

Jack froze and sent him a look over his shoulder. William understood the message clearly. _"Shut UP!"_ it screamed. Startled, and a little more than put out, William's face dropped.

Where had that come from? He wondered why the phrase had fallen naturally from his lips. He wondered why he had drawn his sword so fiercely and readily. He wondered why he had _opened his mouth._

So much for not making a fool out of himself.

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"Commodore! They're taking the ship!" a voice yelled. "Sparrow and Turner, they're taking the Dauntless!"

The mermaid's attention snapped to the small boat with the yelling man. The men aboard the small vessel seemed to be navy of some kind and the lead man was waving his arms in the air.

"Commodore," he cried and her gaze followed his pointed finger. Upon a great ship were two men, pulling at the reins and trying to man the sails by themselves. It was a wasted effort by the looks of things, but she couldn't help but focus all her attention on them anyway.

The first name, Sparrow, was so familiar to her. And the man on the ship looked very much the pirate he was described to be. The thought of Jack Sparrow stealing a ship was no surprise. Even the mermaids had heard of his crew's endeavors.

But, the second name—that name made everything tie together. Turner, the man had said. No doubt there weren't two families of Turners in Port Royal; coincidence just didn't exist that often. Here he was, a man of the Turner family, stealing a ship the day after the kidnapping of Elizabeth Turner. And in his company, Jack Sparrow, the former captain of the Black Pearl who had been looking all over for his beloved vessel. Fate was playing her hand strongly in this town.

The mermaid watched a couple more moments, seeing as they tricked the Navy into giving them a faster ship, one that was already prepared, and making their escape. Jack Sparrow yelled back parting words and, for some reason, the other ship was frozen in the water.

Seeing her chance, the mermaid dipped back underwater and raced after the two men. A thousand possibilities ran through her head, but only one really mattered to her. If she found the boy, she could finally learn his fate.


	5. Chapter 4: Descent

A/N: Hello everyone! I feel kind of weird since the other chapters I just quickly uploaded without introducing myself lol

Anyway, I'm Kris and this is one of my many stories that I have in my hard drive. This isn't finished, but I love this idea of mermaids in the PotC universe and I'm a little disappointed with the lack of stories about them in the tag, so I decided to upload it anyway.

Well, that's it. Enjoy, R&amp;R.

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Chapter 4

Elizabeth Swann seriously doubted her luck right now.

A search of the cabin she was in proved to be fruitless; there were no sharp objects, no knives or scissors. And it wasn't like she was going to take a chance in the ocean. The ship had left port long ago and the lights of her hometown had disappeared quickly within the first hour aboard the ship. Now there was nothing but the sea, stretching on and on, and its inky blackness. Plus, the memory of her near death experience the other day made her hesitant to throw herself overboard.

However, before she did anything, she needed to know the pirates intentions. Maybe this was a simple kidnapping job and the distance she seen traveled was just the pirates sailing in circles, trying to confuse her. In fact, maybe they had already sent a letter to her father and they were negotiating a ransom. Maybe she would be back in her home within the week.

Curling in the corner of the room, Elizabeth tried not to let her heart swell at the prospect of being home. Deep inside, she knew this wasn't a simple matter. While the pirates had stormed her house first, she doubted she would be brought back to the ship unless she had asked for a parley. And even then, the only reason the captain had listened to her is because of the gold medallion she had stolen from William.

Elizabeth groaned, her recent lie coming back to her. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what possessed her to utter William's last name as her own. Surely, the pirates' responses had proved that they didn't know about her being a Swann. She had even said she was a maid!

No, she realized slowly, this wasn't a kidnapping job.

Elizabeth huffed with irritation and stood, pressing her hands against the window in front of her.

Suddenly, she thought about Jack Sparrow, the pirate who saved her just the other day. She imagined him showing up and rescuing her in some grand way. Outwitting the whole crew of this ship and even managing to steal back William's medallion in the process. Then, he would take her aboard his ship, where corsets and arranged marriages didn't exist. He would make her a part of his crew and her fingers would form actual callouses from pulling on ropes and using swords. She would travel the Caribbean with him.

A couple of days ago, she would have dreamed about all of that—in fact, the thought had crossed her mind when Jack had had her pinned against him. She hated him furiously, with a passion she had for no one else. But, he represented the freedom she longed for and, for that, he would always be wonderful in her eyes. Even if he a criminal.

A knock on the cabin's door startled Elizabeth out of her thoughts. She straightened her back and made sure not a hair was out of place before whoever was on the other side entered.

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By the time the mermaid had caught up to the stolen ship, it was night time.

She had been swimming alongside them all day, freely above water since the two of them were too busy minding the sails to leisurely watch the sea. The only time she had hidden herself is when the Turner man had suddenly flew over the edge, hanging onto a part of the ship. She watched amusedly as his feet dangled and wished he would slip and fall in. Then, she could drag him away and question him about Elizabeth Turner and the coin she had.

But, unfortunately, he had been safely returned to the ship's deck and from there the pirate captain and his fellow thief did not stop sailing until they were stationed at another port.

The surrounding town was all lite up, despite the late hour, and the people were recklessly loud; the mermaid swore she could hear them before she could see them. And there were people all about the streets, dancing and walking wildly. The mermaid wondered briefly it humans all practiced different ways of strutting around on their ugly legs.

Since the two men had made port, they had journeyed into the crowds of people and, after an hour, the mermaid grew restless from waiting. At first, she wanted to make sure the coast was clear before she broke the surface but, after seeing how inebriated the town people on the dock were, the mermaid was bobbing calmly in the water, under the guise of night and hidden from their poor, human eyes.

She watched the women walk around in their big, gaudy dresses with their bosoms pushed up to their chins and their hair piled on top of their head. They walked around town easily, only stopping to return a biting comment to some poor man. The mermaid thought about how she would look styled up in their overbearing dresses and easily capturing the attention of all the men who were afraid to leave dry land. Out of the sea, men had no caution about flesh-eating mermaids and they would follow her willingly, without much persuasion. Despite her mouth salivating at the thought of a warm meal, the mermaid knew what she really would do if she was a land-walker: follow Sparrow and Turner where her tail could not take her.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea took ahold of her. Why waste time swimming after the boat when she could be on board? Surely, the two men could not take her; she was greatly superior in all things. Not only counting her strength, but she could enrapture them into songs, bite through their limbs, or just simply drown them. They would never think her a mermaid; men did not know she possessed legs.

Without hesitation, the mermaid swam deep, deep underwater, pressing her back to the sand before taking off upward. She pushed with all her might and, with a quiet splash, she was in the air; arching over the side of the ship, wind pushing against her, until she crashed into the deck. For a second, she felt her chest compress from the loss of water, but her bodily quickly caught up to being on land and her transformation started.

Her scales dried up like forgotten fall leaves and grew brittle until they started crumbling into themselves. The slime that covered her tail melted and dried up, spreading like a puddle before evaporating. The long, brown legs underneath stretched and spasmed with their new-found freedom, but the mermaid held as still as she could, listening intensely for any unrest on the dock. But, all she heard in return was more drunken laughter and smiling to herself, she realized she had succeeded.

The only problem now was figuring out how the work her new limbs. Staring down at them, she watched in fascination as her toes twitched and her knees bent at awkward angles. The mermaid pushed herself up, grabbing onto a nearby crate to focus most of her weight on her arms. When she gotten her feet flat on the ground, she not only realized how visible the dock was once she got to a certain height, but she also felt the warm, sea breeze blowing against her back. She was naked except for her jewels and she didn't mind as much, except everyone that she encountered would be clothed and she knew she would stick out.

Her plan was to hide amongst the humans, find her boy, and then return to sea where she could watch him from afar. All she needed to do was to find that Turner woman and ask her for the information she needed.

The sound of guns went off suddenly and the—now—young woman screamed as she flinched away from the crate and fell once again to the deck. Except this time, there was a lot more pain involved.

Huffing, the mermaid pushed her hair out of her face and looked around the deck. She needed to get out of the open and find cover. Hopefully, she could find clothes before anyone returned to the ship. Seeing a cabin to her right, she set her mouth into a determined line and pushed herself onto her feet again.

She would get what she needed, one way or another.


End file.
